Alumni Award Recipients

Henry Crumpton
Zimmerman Award, 2011

Hank Crumpton was one to keep a secret. So says his UNM rugby buddy, Patrick Toohey. In retrospect, maybe the team could have predicted their captain’s career path. As for Hank, his future career was no secret to him. At age 11, he’d already written the CIA, from his home in rural Georgia. The CIA wrote back: not yet.

In the meantime, Hank landed in New Mexico. It’s no secret to any of us that New Mexico would enchant Hank. And Hank returned the favor with his ability to meet people from different backgrounds, find the best in them, and enjoy their company.

After graduating from UNM – and a less than successful junket as a professional rugby player in Australia – Hank joined the CIA, where he kept many secrets, for 24 years.

For most of those years, Hank operated in the foreign field, either as a spy or a station chief. Much of what he did is still secret. We know that he investigated the 1998 al Qaeda bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole off Yemen.

In Washington, he served as Deputy Chief of the International Terrorism Operations Section, and was deputy chief of the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center.

One secret was too well kept: Hank repeatedly warned senior CIA officials of Osama bin Laden’s potential threat before the tragic events of September 11, 2001.

In 2001 and 2002, Hank led the CIA’s Afghanistan campaign.

In what would seem a sensible move, but would also challenge doctrine and practice, he linked tribal leaders with American military and intelligence to devise their attack together.

Hank’s insight and direction changed our country’s approach to counterterrorism.

To Hank it was no secret that the battle extends beyond terrain to the human population – to community needs for electricity, computers, education, and healthcare…. And to the individual needs of prestige and honor as well as family, god, the future, and hope.

Back in DC, Hank became chief of the CIA’s National Resources Division until his ultimate appointment as Ambassador at Large and Coordinator of Counterterrorism at the US State Department.

Patrick Toohey worked and played with Hank years ago on the rubgy field. Fellow CIA operative Donna D’Andrea is a partner in the DC consulting company Hank formed after retiring from the CIA. The Crumpton Group advises global corporations on political, security, and commercial dynamics in emerging and frontier markets.

Despite the years and the distance, Patrick and Donna agree about the secrets to Hank’s success as a leader:

• Hank is a quiet leader who doesn’t boast about himself. Instead, he leads by example and praises his colleagues.
• He asks good questions and listens to the answers.
• He understands and knows people.
• He is a man of his word. If he says he’ll do something he’ll do it, or go back and explain why he can’t.
• He is intellectually curious. He surprises some people by being articulate, “even with the accent,” about so many subjects.

These skills and traits have served Hank well, whether dealing with tribal leaders, CEOs, or heads of state.

By the way, Patrick says there are many rugby stories he could tell, but he wouldn’t, so there are a few secrets remaining.

So now, the secret is out (except for a few rugby stories that Patrick wouldn’t tell): UNM alumni have among their ranks one of the most influential and heroic figures in recent American history. We can’t keep that quiet. Which is why we’re extending to Ambassador Henry Crumpton, class of 1978, our gratitude and our Zimmerman Award tonight.